Ville Aslak
Raasakka
Ville Aslak Raasakka is a Helsinki-based Finnish composer specialized in ecology. His works incorporate field recordings from coal power plants, coal mines, oil rigs, forests, trees, insects, plants and underwater sites. He is currently working with bioacoustics and composing in cooperation with biologists.
His works are performed by the Klangforum Wien, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Mivos Quartet at festivals including Eclat, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and June in Buffalo. He has composed for soloists and conductors such as Marco Blaauw, Chloé Dufresne, Anssi Karttunen and Bas Wiegers.
"The sound world is stupefyingly vibrant and multi-faceted"
– Annikki Alku, Demokraatti
"Majestic"
– Samuli Tiikkaja, Helsingin Sanomat
"An unforgettable experience"
– Reetta Pitkäkoski, Helsingin Sanomat
Engagements in 2024-2026
BBC Symphony Orchestra // London, United Kingdom
Rainy days Festival // Philharmonie Luxembourg
Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival // United Kingdom
Klangforum Wien // Vienna, Austria
Mivos Quartet // New York City, United States
ISCM World New Music Days // Lisbon, Portugal
Manca Dornik, accordion // Basel, Switzerland
Raphaël Dubois, guitar // Tours, France
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity // Banff, Canada
Lorelei Dowling, bassoon, Klangforum Wien // Vienna, Austria
Switch~ Ensemble // New York City, United States
Annette Bik, violin, Klangforum Wien // Vienna, Austria
Ensemble Mise-en, Yumi Suehiro // New York, United States
Spółdzielnia Muzyczna Ensemble // Krakow, Poland
Kaisa Kortelainen, flute // Helsinki, Finland
Avanti! Chamber Orchestra // Helsinki, Finland
Iida-Vilhelmiina Sinivalo, cello // Helsinki, Finland
Oulu Sinfonia // Oulu, Finland
Livia Schweizer, flute // Helsinki, Finland
Turku Philharmonic Orchestra // Turku, Finland
Latest Work
Soil, roots and sapwood (2024-25) 30'
for String Quartet and Electronics
Commissioned by the Mivos Quartet (Vienna - New York),
Sibelius Foundation (Helsinki),
and the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (UK)
A black carbon haze (2024-25) 10'
for Contraforte/Contrabassoon, Viola and Tenor Saxophone
Commissioned by Lorelei Dowling (Vienna)
and the Teosto Commission Fund (Helsinki)
The Harvest (2022-23) 10'
for Chamber Orchestra or Orchestra
Commissioned by the Klangforum Wien (Vienna)
and the Nyky Ensemble (Helsinki)
Orchestral version commissioned by the Tapiola Sinfonietta (Espoo)
Sound woven on a spider's web (2025-26) 20'
Series of etudes for Violin
Commissioned by Annette Bik (Vienna)
